Everyone needs a good meatball recipe in their lives.
These Spicy Turkey Meatballs are packed full of Italian flavors — with a touch of mozzarella cheese and a subtle heat.
Simmer these tender meatballs in a rich homemade tomato sauce and spoon them over your favorite type of pasta. With a dusting (or avalanche) of Parmesan cheese, these spicy turkey meatballs are an irresistible weeknight meal.
Why KJ Loves
Spicy Turkey Meatballs
I love how these meatballs make your house smell like an Italian restaurant as they are simmering away on the stove! They are perfect for an easy twist on a weeknight dinner, or a great meal for date night. Grab a fork and dig in!
Easy Dinner Magic
The simplicity of making these meatballs is almost as satisfying as devouring them. Okay, maybe not quite as satisfying, but it’s a close second!
All you need to do is assemble the meatballs, sear them, get the sauce simmering, and then let them bathe in the tomato goodness until they are ready to eat.
Dinner is ready in a snap.
To make things even easier, try using your favorite store bought marinara sauce.
If you need to make these spicy turkey meatballs in a slow cooker, you can easily adjust the recipe so dinner is ready when you get home.
Simply add all of the ingredients for the sauce into the slow cooker, roll up the meatballs, and place them in the sauce. Set the cooker on low, and you’ll have a wonderful dinner ready when you get home.
Hassle-free and delicious.
Spicy Turkey Meatball Ingredients
For the Tomato Butter Sauce
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Small onion (diced)
- Chopped garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Salt
- Butter
- Tomato sauce
Ingredient notes:
- I like to use salted butter for this sauce.
- Making this homemade sauce is as simple as measuring and dumping! But if you want to simplify things further, you can use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce instead.
For Spicy Turkey Meatballs
- Ground turkey
- Egg
- Salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Garlic powder
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cayenne (optional to turn up the heat)
Ingredient notes:
- Try to go for a turkey that has a little fat in it (at least 93% lean). This will help you achieve more moist, tender meatballs.
- If you prefer to use ground chicken, you could substitute it for the turkey.
How to Make Spicy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
1
Mix and form the meatballs.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, cayenne (optional), and mozzarella cheese. Gently fold in the ingredients with a fork. Using 1/4 cup portions, roll the meat mixture into meatballs.
Tip: Use disposable gloves to make the whole process easier!
2
Sear the meatballs.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or braiser and sear the meatballs until golden brown on both sides, not worrying about cooking them all the way through at this point.
Set the seared meatballs aside.
3
Make the homemade sauce.
Add the onion to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes or until slightly translucent.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and butter. Sauté for a few more minutes until the butter is melted.
Pour in the tomato sauce, stir to combine, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
4
Simmer the meatballs in the sauce.
Gently place the meatballs into the simmering sauce, trying to space them apart evenly so that you don’t have any on top of each other.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 25 minutes.
5
Serve over pasta.
Serve with your choice of noodles (or zoodles!), and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Variation
Make the meatballs according to the recipe directions.
Then, add all the sauce ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the meatballs, spacing them as evenly as possible. Cook the spicy turkey meatballs in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Turkey Meatball Tips:
Use a large cookie scoop.
Ground turkey can get a little messy. Make it easier on yourself by using a large cookie or ice cream scoop. Don’t pack the mixture into the scoop.
Use a fork to stir the meatball mixture.
Don’t overwork it! Overworking meatballs can result in dry or tough meatballs. We’re going for moist turkey meatballs!
Pre-mix the meatball fillers.
Before adding the ground turkey, mix the other meatball ingredients together. This allows you to get a good distribution of the ingredients without overmixing the turkey.
Use disposable gloves.
Try using some disposable meat gloves to make the process easier. You’ll keep your hands cleaner and have an easier time forming the meatballs.
What To Serve With Spicy Turkey Meatballs
Serve these meatballs with a side of cheesy garlic bread and a veggie — like a simple side salad or roasted broccolini.
Prepping Ahead of Time
Want to prep these ahead of time? You’ve got two options.
01) Refrigerate them: Make and roll the spicy turkey meatballs in advance and place them on a baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate them up to a day in advance.
02) Freeze them: Make the meatballs, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze them for a few hours. Then, you can transfer the frozen meatballs to a freezer-safe bag to keep in the freezer before use. For best results, thaw them out the night before you want to cook them, and cook according to the recipe.
If you’re cooking the meatballs from frozen, add extra cooking time. Over the stovetop: Add ( ) time. For the slow cooker: add 1 hour if you’re cooking them on high or 2 hours if you’re cooking them on low.
Always make sure your meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees!
You’re on a roll! (Try some other meatball recipes.)
- You can’t go wrong with BBQ Chicken Meatballs.
- Swedish Turkey Meatballs feature a hint of Dijon mustard and a creamy sauce.
- Calling all cheese lovers: these Cheesy Baked Meatballs will satisfy your cravings.
- Sticky Pomegranate Meatballs give you a delicious Morrocan twist on your typical meatball.
- Chicken parm gets a slow cooker twist with this Chicken Parmesan Meatball recipe.
Spicy Turkey Meatballs
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Everyone needs a good meatball recipe in their lives. These Spicy Turkey Meatballs are packed full of flavor with a subtle heat to make you keep going back for more. They are simmered in a rich tomato sauce and then can be spooned over your choice of pasta, topped off with some parmesan cheese and devoured.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional for extra heat)
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 30 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, cayenne (optional) and mozzarella cheese. Gently fold the ingredients together to combine. Using 1/4 cup portions, roll the meat mixture into meat balls.
- Heat the olive oil in large skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add in the meatballs and sear until golden brown on both sides, not worrying about cooking all the way through at this point. Set the meatballs aside.
For the sauce:
- Add the onion into the skillet and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly translucent. Add in the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and butter and sauté a few minutes more until the butter is melted. Pour in the tomato sauce, stir to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Gently place the meatballs into the simmering sauce, trying to evenly space them apart so that you don’t have any that are on top of each other. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with your choice of noodle and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 29.1g
- Fat: 23.1g
- Fiber: 28g
- Protein: 28.2g
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Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
